Christmas check on ex-lover lands man on remand

Dangerous and reckless business!

That’s how Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes has described the actions of a man who admitted to breaking into his former girlfriend’s home because he believed that she was entertaining another man.

And the loud crying of Decourcey Alexander Smith from Jackson, St Michael was not enough to prevent him from being sent to Dodds Prison on remand.

The 41-year-old driver pleaded guilty to entering the house of Shelly-Ann Hall as a trespasser on Christmas Day with intent to commit bodily harm.

Officer Ralph Rollock disclosed that the two were previously in a relationship. On December 25, she was at home with a male friend when they heard sounds of someone pulling at the doors, windows and then walking towards the back of the house. As the police were being notified of what was happening via telephone those inside heard the sounds of footsteps in the house. A check was made and Smith was found. He fled but was caught not far from the residence.

In explaining his actions to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court Smith said: “I just went to the house. I get as far as the back door and say what I was doing was wrong. What I did on that night was wrong. If I have to pay her back for what I did to the house I will pay her.”

Weekes queried why Smith had ventured to the woman’s house uninvited when the relationship was over.

He replied: “Me and she was still talking. I brought her a phone for Christmas. She tell me, me and she finish but we can still be friends. I brought the phone for her because she did a lot for me.”

He would eventually admit that he went to Hall’s residence because he believed that she had someone else there and he was jealous.

“Why are you all men so obsessed with the women. Why can’t you all just move on?” Chief Magistrate Weekes queried.

“When one is finished you move on. I don’t understand why you are sneaking about. That cannot help your heart. This is dangerous and reckless business,” the judicial officer added.

Hall, who was also present, addressed the court. She revealed that whenever Smith uses alcohol he acts “stupid”.

“Without alcohol he is the sweetest person, always willing to help.”

But Magistrate Weekes expressed concerns about the situation.

“I have major concerns with him checking to see whether a man was in your place. I think sometimes you all have to come to grips with reality.”

He added: “This is a serious matter . . . sometimes we need to take a time-out . . . I am very concerned about this. This is madness.”

“Wunna don’t love wunna self first. Wunna rushing into a fire to find out whether there is another man in the house? Pull yourself together and get some counseling.

“Men need to get away from other men that figure it could be solved with a drink. Emotions will not be solved with any drink. Emotions will be solved by having a conversation with a professional. It does not mean that you are mad. But you can find a counsellor, anybody like that to talk to. You all need to pull yourselves together and move on.

“This idea of men constantly coming to court and wunna getting wunna self in jail behind these women is not worth it.”

Weekes reiterated that the situation was a dangerous one. Smith said he understood but explained that he did not threaten the woman.

But the magistrate made it clear that Smith “had no right” at the residence.

“If the other man had caught you God only knows what could have happened . . . anything could have happened.

“Wunna got to stop this nonsense tho’. Love wunna self first, [not] this obsession with women . . .”

Smith was then remanded pending sentencing. When he was told that he would return before the magistrate on January 26, 2022 he began to cry loudly as he was led away by a police officer.